U.S. patent application number 16/417660 was filed with the patent office on 2019-11-28 for display control device and computer-readable storage medium.
The applicant listed for this patent is HONDA MOTOR CO.,LTD.. Invention is credited to Mutsumi KATAYAMA, Yuji NISHIKAWA.
Application Number | 20190364248 16/417660 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68614209 |
Filed Date | 2019-11-28 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190364248 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KATAYAMA; Mutsumi ; et
al. |
November 28, 2019 |
DISPLAY CONTROL DEVICE AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
Abstract
A display control device is provided, including: a
location-information acquiring unit configured to acquire location
information indicating an image-capturing target place; a
route-information acquiring unit configured to acquire route
information indicating a route to a destination of a first vehicle;
an image-capturing-direction determining unit configured to
determine, based on the location information and the route
information, an image-capturing direction in which image capturing
of the image-capturing target place is to be performed; a
captured-image receiving unit configured to receive, from a second
vehicle that captures an image of the image-capturing target place
in the image-capturing direction, the captured image of the
image-capturing target place; and a display control unit configured
to cause the captured image to be displayed.
Inventors: |
KATAYAMA; Mutsumi; (Saitama,
JP) ; NISHIKAWA; Yuji; (Saitama, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HONDA MOTOR CO.,LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
68614209 |
Appl. No.: |
16/417660 |
Filed: |
May 21, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 9/00624 20130101;
G01C 21/36 20130101; H04W 4/46 20180201; H04N 7/181 20130101; B60R
1/00 20130101; G01C 21/3623 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 7/18 20060101
H04N007/18; H04W 4/46 20060101 H04W004/46; G01C 21/36 20060101
G01C021/36; B60R 1/00 20060101 B60R001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 22, 2018 |
JP |
2018-098324 |
Claims
1. A display control device comprising: a location-information
acquiring unit configured to acquire location information
indicating an image-capturing target place; a route-information
acquiring unit configured to acquire route information indicating a
route to a destination of a first vehicle; an
image-capturing-direction determining unit configured to determine,
based on the location information and the route information, an
image-capturing direction in which image capturing of the
image-capturing target place is to be performed; a captured-image
receiving unit configured to receive, from a second vehicle that
captures an image of the image-capturing target place in the
image-capturing direction, the captured image of the
image-capturing target place; and a display control unit configured
to cause the captured image to be displayed.
2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
display control unit is configured to cause a display unit provided
to the first vehicle to display the captured image.
3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
display control unit is configured to send the captured image to a
prespecified communication terminal and cause the communication
terminal to display the captured image.
4. The display control device according to claim 1, comprising a
request-information sending unit configured to broadcast request
information including the image-capturing target place and the
image-capturing direction, wherein the captured-image receiving
unit is configured to receive the captured image sent by the second
vehicle that has received the request information.
5. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
captured-image receiving unit is configured to receive the captured
image from the second vehicle via vehicle-vehicle communication
between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.
6. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
image-capturing-direction determining unit is configured to, when
judging that the image-capturing target place is included in the
route indicated by the route information, determine, as the
image-capturing direction, a direction in which the first vehicle
heads for the image-capturing target place on the route.
7. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
image-capturing-direction determining unit is configured to, when
judging that the image-capturing target place is not included in
the route indicated by the route information, determine, as the
image-capturing direction, a direction in which the first vehicle
heads for the image-capturing target place on a route in which the
image-capturing target place is set as a destination of the first
vehicle.
8. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
image-capturing-direction determining unit is configured to, when
the image-capturing target place is not included in the route
indicated by the route information and the image-capturing target
place is not on a road, derive a path from a neighboring road of
the image-capturing target place to the image-capturing target
place, and determine, as the image-capturing direction, a direction
of heading for the image-capturing target place on the derived
path.
9. The display control device according to claim 8, wherein the
image-capturing-direction determining unit is configured to, when
the image-capturing target place is not included in the route
indicated by the route information and the image-capturing target
place is not on a road, identify a road at a shortest distance from
the image-capturing target place, identify a point at a shortest
distance from the image-capturing target place on the identified
road, derive a path connecting the identified point and the
image-capturing target place as a path to the image-capturing
target place, and determine, as the image-capturing direction, a
direction of heading for the image-capturing target place on the
derived path.
10. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the
display control device is provided to the first vehicle, and the
display control device comprises: a request-information receiving
unit configured to receive request information including an
image-capturing target place and an image-capturing direction from
a second vehicle different from the first vehicle; a judging unit
configured to refer to the image-capturing target place and the
image-capturing direction included in the request information
received by the request-information receiving unit, and judge
whether image capturing of the image-capturing target place in the
image-capturing direction is possible; and a captured-image sending
unit configured to, when the judging unit judges the image
capturing to be possible, send, to the second vehicle, an image of
the image-capturing target place included in the request
information, which image is captured by an image capturing unit
provided to the first vehicle in the image-capturing direction
included in the request information.
11. The display control device according to claim 10, wherein the
judging unit is configured to judge, based on the route information
indicating the route from the first vehicle to the destination of
the first vehicle and an image-capturing possible range in which
image capturing by the image capturing unit is possible, whether
image capturing of the image-capturing target place in the
image-capturing direction is possible.
12. The display control device according to claim 11, wherein the
judging unit is configured to judge image capturing to be possible
if, assuming that the first vehicle travels the route indicated by
the route information, the first vehicle travels toward the
image-capturing target place along the image-capturing direction
included in the request information and the image-capturing target
place is included in the image-capturing possible range of the
image capturing unit.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for
causing a computer to function as: a location-information acquiring
unit configured to acquire location information indicating an
image-capturing target place; a route-information acquiring unit
configured to acquire route information indicating a route to a
destination of a first vehicle; an image-capturing-direction
determining unit configured to determine, based on the location
information and the route information, an image-capturing direction
in which image capturing of the image-capturing target place is to
be performed; a captured-image receiving unit configured to
receive, from a second vehicle that captures an image of the
image-capturing target place in the image-capturing direction, the
captured image of the image-capturing target place; and a display
control unit configured to cause the captured image to be
displayed.
Description
[0001] The contents of the following Japanese patent application
are incorporated herein by reference: [0002] NO. 2018-098324 filed
in JP on May 22, 2018
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a display control device
and a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Related Art
[0004] An on-vehicle system has been known which has means for
accepting the setting of a to-be-observed place from a user,
requesting another on-vehicle system to capture an image of the
to-be-observed place, receiving the image of the to-be-observed
place from the another on-vehicle system and displaying the
received image (see Patent Document 1, for example).
[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication
No. 2006-031583
SUMMARY
[0006] It is desired to provide a technique capable of reducing the
load on the user to set an image-capturing target.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of communication
environment of a vehicle 100.
[0008] FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of configuration of
the vehicle 100.
[0009] FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of an image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to an image-capturing target
place 330.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a communication path of a
captured image.
[0011] FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of the image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to the image-capturing target
place 330.
[0012] FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of the image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to the image-capturing target
place 330.
[0013] FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of functional
configuration of a control device 200.
[0014] FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of process flow of the
control device 200.
[0015] FIG. 9 schematically shows an example of hardware
configuration of a computer 1000 functioning as the control device
200.
[0016] FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of functional
configuration of a communication terminal 500.
[0017] FIG. 11 schematically shows an example of hardware
configuration of a computer 1100 functioning as the communication
terminal 500.
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Hereinafter, (some) embodiment(s) of the present invention
will be described. The embodiment(s) do(es) not limit the invention
according to the claims, and all the combinations of the features
described in the embodiment(s) are not necessarily essential to
means provided by aspects of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of communication
environment of a vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment.
The vehicle 100 performs wireless communication with another
vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may perform wireless communication
with another vehicle 100 in at least any form of: wireless
communication with the another vehicle 100 via a network 10; direct
wireless communication with the another vehicle 100 (which may be
referred to as vehicle-vehicle direct communication); and wireless
communication with the another vehicle 100 via road-vehicle
communication (which may be referred to as vehicle-road-vehicle
communication).
[0020] The network 10 may be any network. For example, the network
10 may include at least any of: the Internet; a mobile network such
as so-called 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G
(4th Generation) and 5G (5th Generation); a public wireless LAN
(Local Area Network); and a private network.
[0021] The vehicle 100 may perform vehicle-vehicle direct
communication or vehicle-road-vehicle communication by using any
known vehicle-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication
technology. For example, the vehicle 100 performs vehicle-vehicle
direct communication or vehicle-road-vehicle communication through
communication utilizing a predetermined frequency band such as a
700-MHz band and a 5.8-GHz band. The vehicle 100 may perform
wireless communication with another vehicle 100 by way of yet
another vehicle 100. For example, an inter-vehicle network may be
formed by a plurality of vehicles 100 coordinating through
vehicle-vehicle direct communication or vehicle-road-vehicle
communication, and vehicles 100 at remote locations may communicate
with each other via the inter-vehicle network.
[0022] The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment includes
an image capturing unit to capture an image of the surroundings of
the vehicle 100, and sends the image captured by the image
capturing unit to another vehicle 100 and receives, from the
another vehicle 100, an image captured by the image capturing unit
of the another vehicle 100. The captured image may be a static
image or a video image (dynamic image). For example, the vehicle
100 broadcasts, to other vehicles 100, request information
including an image-capturing target place specified by a user of
the vehicle 100, and receives captured images of the
image-capturing target place from other vehicles 100 that are
capable of capturing an image of the image-capturing target place.
This allows the user of the vehicle 100 to grasp real-time
conditions of the image-capturing target place.
[0023] The vehicle 100 may also broadcast, to other vehicles 100,
request information including an image-capturing target place an
image-capturing direction in which image capturing of the
image-capturing target place is to be performed, and receive images
of the image-capturing target place captured in the image-capturing
direction from other vehicles 100 that are capable of capturing an
image of the image-capturing target place in the image-capturing
direction. This allows the user of the vehicle 100 to grasp
real-time conditions of the image-capturing target place as viewed
in a particular direction.
[0024] Desirably, the image-capturing target place and the
image-capturing direction can be set easily. In particular,
considering a case in which a user sets them while driving the
vehicle 100, the ability to be set easily is desired so as not to
disturb the concentration of the user on driving.
[0025] The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment, when
accepting the specification of an image-capturing target place,
automatically sets an image-capturing direction according to
present conditions of the vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle 100
identifies a direction in which the vehicle 100 heads for the
image-capturing target place on the assumption that it passes
through the image-capturing target place, and automatically sets
this direction as the image-capturing direction. Thus, the
image-capturing direction can be automatically set as probably
desired by the user of the vehicle 100.
[0026] FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of configuration of
the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a manipulation unit 110,
a display unit 120, a wireless communication unit 130, an image
capturing unit 140, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)
receiving unit 150, sensor unit 160, and a control device 200. At
least some of these components may be components included in
so-called car navigation systems.
[0027] The manipulation unit 110 accepts manipulations by the user
of the vehicle 100. The manipulation unit 110 may include physical
manipulation buttons. The manipulation unit 110 and the display
unit 120 may be a touch panel display. The manipulation unit 110
may accept audio manipulations. The manipulation unit 110 may
include a microphone and a speaker.
[0028] The wireless communication unit 130 performs wireless
communication with another vehicle 100. The wireless communication
unit 130 may include a communication unit that communicates with
the network 10 via a wireless base station of a mobile network. The
wireless communication unit 130 may also include a communication
unit that communicates with the network 10 via a WiFi (registered
trademark) access point. The wireless communication unit 130 may
also include a communication unit that performs vehicle-vehicle
communication. The wireless communication unit 130 may also include
a communication unit that performs road-vehicle communication.
[0029] The image capturing unit 140 includes one or more cameras.
The camera may be a dashboard camera. If the image capturing unit
140 includes a plurality of cameras, the cameras are provided at
respective different positions on the vehicle 100. Also, the
cameras perform image capturing in respective different
image-capturing directions.
[0030] The GNSS receiving unit 150 receives radio waves transmitted
from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiving unit 150 may identify the
location of the vehicle 100 based on a signal received from GNSS
satellites.
[0031] The sensor unit 160 includes one or more sensors. For
example, the sensor unit 160 includes an acceleration sensor. For
example, the sensor unit 160 includes an angular rate sensor (gyro
sensor). For example, the sensor unit 160 includes a geomagnetic
sensor. For example, the sensor unit 160 includes a vehicle speed
sensor.
[0032] The control device 200 controls the manipulation unit 110,
the display unit 120, the wireless communication unit 130, the
image capturing unit 140, the GNSS receiving unit 150, and the
sensor unit 160, to perform various processes. For example, the
control device 200 performs a navigation process. The control
device 200 may perform a navigation process similar to a navigation
process performed by a known car navigation system.
[0033] For example, the control device 200 identifies a current
location of the vehicle 100 based on outputs from the GNSS
receiving unit 150 and the sensor unit 160, reads out map data
corresponding to the current location, and causes the display unit
120 to display the map data. Also, the control device 200 accepts
the input of a destination via the manipulation unit 110,
identifies a recommended route from the current location of the
vehicle 100 to the destination, and causes the display unit 120 to
display the recommended route. When accepting the selection of a
route, the control device 200 performs guidance of a pathway to be
traveled by the vehicle 100 via the display unit 120 and the
speaker according to the selected route.
[0034] The control device 200 according to the present embodiment
performs a request process to request another vehicle 100 to send a
captured image of an image-capturing target place. For example, the
control device 200 accepts the specification of an image-capturing
target place by the user via the manipulation unit 110. For
example, the control device 200 accepts a pointing input onto the
map displayed by the display unit 120. For example, the control
device 200 also accepts an audio input specifying the
image-capturing target place.
[0035] The control device 200 determines an image-capturing
direction based on the specified image-capturing target place and
the route to the destination of the vehicle 100. For example, if
the image-capturing target place is included in the route of the
vehicle 100, the control device 200 determines, as the
image-capturing direction, a direction in which the vehicle 100
heads for the image-capturing target place on the route. The
control device 200 then broadcasts, to other vehicles 100, request
information including the determined image-capturing direction and
the image-capturing target place and identification information
identifying the vehicle 100. The control device 200 may cause the
wireless communication unit 130 to broadcast the request
information.
[0036] Also, the control device 200 according to the present
embodiment performs a display process to display a captured image
sent by another vehicle 100 that receives the request information.
The control device 200 may cause the display unit 120 to display
the captured image received by the wireless communication unit 130
from another vehicle 100. For example, the control device 200
causes the captured image to be displayed at a position
corresponding to the image-capturing target place on the map
displayed by the display unit 120. The control device 200 may be an
example of a display control device.
[0037] FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of an image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to an image-capturing target
place 330. A map 300 is an example of a map displayed by the
display unit 120, and includes a current location 312, a
destination 314, a route 320, and an image-capturing target place
330. When accepting the specification of an image-capturing target
place, the control device 200 may dispose the image-capturing
target place 330 on the map 300.
[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the image-capturing target
place 330 is included in the route 320 of the vehicle 100. In this
case, the control device 200 may determine, as the image-capturing
direction, a direction 340 in which the vehicle 100 heads for the
image-capturing target place 330 on the route 320. The control
device 200 broadcasts, to other vehicles 100, request information
including identification information identifying the vehicle 100
and the image-capturing target place and the image-capturing
direction.
[0039] The control device 200 may broadcast the request information
via the network 10. The control device 200 may also broadcast the
request information via at least any of vehicle-vehicle direct
communication and vehicle-road-vehicle communication. A vehicle 100
receives the request information sent by the control device 200 and
then sends the request information to another vehicle 100, and thus
the request information is sent to a plurality of vehicles 100.
[0040] When receiving the request information, the vehicle 100
refers to the image-capturing target location and the
image-capturing direction included in the request information, and
judges whether it is possible to capture an image of the
image-capturing target location in the image-capturing direction.
For example, the vehicle 100 judges the image capturing to be
possible if, assuming that the vehicle 100 travels the route
indicated by the route information for itself, the vehicle 100
travels toward the image-capturing target place along the
image-capturing direction and the image-capturing target place is
included in an image capturing range of the image capturing unit
140. When judging the image capturing to be possible, the vehicle
100 sends an approval response to the vehicle 100 from which the
request information is sent. The vehicle 100 that received the
approval response receives, from the vehicle 100 that sent the
approval response, an image captured by the vehicle 100 while
heading for the image-capturing target place.
[0041] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a communication path of a
captured image. FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which a vehicle
410 captures an image while heading for the image-capturing target
place 330 and sends the captured image to the vehicle 100 located
at the current location 312. The vehicle 410, a vehicle 420, and a
vehicle 430 shown in FIG. 4 may have a configuration similar to
that of the vehicle 100.
[0042] If the vehicle 100 is located within the range of
vehicle-vehicle direct communication, the vehicle 410 may send the
captured image to the vehicle 100 via the vehicle-vehicle direct
communication. Even if the vehicle 100 is located within the range
of vehicle-vehicle direct communication, the vehicle 410 may also
send the captured image to the vehicle 100 via the network 10. The
vehicle 410 may also send the captured image to the vehicle 100 by
way of the vehicle 420 and the vehicle 430.
[0043] If the vehicle 100 is not located within the range of
vehicle-vehicle direct communication, the vehicle 410 may send the
captured image to the vehicle 100 via the network 10. The vehicle
410 may also send the captured image to the vehicle 100 by way of
the vehicle 420 and the vehicle 430.
[0044] FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of the image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to the image-capturing target
place 330. Differences from FIG. 3 will mainly be described
here.
[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the image-capturing target
place 330 is not included in the route 320 of the vehicle 100. In
this case, the control device 200 may identify a route 322 in which
the image-capturing target place 330 is set as a destination of the
vehicle 100, and determine, as the image-capturing direction, the
direction 340 in which the vehicle 100 heads for the
image-capturing target place 330 on the route 322.
[0046] Thus, the image-capturing direction can be automatically set
to the direction of traveling toward the image-capturing target
place 330 on the assumption that the image-capturing target place
330 is passed through. Thus, for example, if the user of the
vehicle 100 considers a route other than the route 320, a suitable
image-capturing direction can be set automatically.
[0047] FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of the image-capturing
direction 340 determined with respect to the image-capturing target
place 330. Differences from FIG. 3 will mainly be described
here.
[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the image-capturing target
place 330 in not included in the route 320 of the vehicle 100, and
the image-capturing target place 330 is not located on a road. In
this case, the control device 200 may derive a path from a
neighboring road of the image-capturing target place 330 to the
image-capturing target place 330, and determine, as the
image-capturing direction, a direction 340 of heading for the
image-capturing target place 330 on the derived path. For example,
the control device 200 identifies a road at the shortest distance
from the image-capturing target place 330, identifies a point at
the shortest distance from the image-capturing target place 330 on
the identified road, and derives a path connecting the identified
point and the image-capturing target place 330 as the path to the
image-capturing target place 330.
[0049] Thus, for example, if the image-capturing target place 330
is a large commercial building and a path from a road to a parking
lot of the large commercial building is not registered in the map
data, and when the large commercial building is specified as the
image-capturing target place 330, a direction along a path that
probably indicates a path from the road to the parking lot can be
determined as the image-capturing direction. Thus, for example,
captured images showing conditions of the entrance of the parking
lot of the large commercial building can be available.
[0050] FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of functional
configuration of the control device 200. The control device 200
includes a storage unit 210, a specification accepting unit 212, a
location-information acquiring unit 214, a route-information
acquiring unit 216, an image-capturing-direction determining unit
218, a request-information sending unit 220, a response receiving
unit 222, a captured-image receiving unit 224, a display control
unit 226, a request-information receiving unit 242, a judging unit
244, and a captured-image sending unit 246. Note that the control
device 200 does not necessarily include all of these
components.
[0051] The storage unit 210 stores various information. The storage
unit 210 may store map data. The storage unit 210 may store
location information indicating a current location of the vehicle
100. The storage unit 210 may store route information indicating a
route from the vehicle 100 to a destination of the vehicle 100.
[0052] The specification accepting unit 212 accepts the
specification of an image-capturing target place. For example, the
specification accepting unit 212 accepts the specification of the
image-capturing target place through pointing input via the
manipulation unit 110. The specification accepting unit 212 also
accepts the specification of the image-capturing target place
through audio input via the manipulation unit 110.
[0053] The location-information acquiring unit 214 acquires
location information indicating the image-capturing target place
for which the specification accepting unit 212 has accepted the
specification. For example, the location information indicating the
image-capturing target place may be the latitude and longitude of
the image-capturing target place.
[0054] The route-information acquiring unit 216 acquires route
information. The route-information acquiring unit 216 may acquire
route information stored in the storage unit 210.
[0055] The image-capturing-direction determining unit 218
determines, based on the location information acquired by the
location-information acquiring unit 214 and the route information
acquired by the route-information acquiring unit 216, an
image-capturing direction in which image capturing of the
image-capturing target place is to be performed. For example, when
judging that the image-capturing target place is included in the
route indicated by the route information, the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 218 determines, as the
image-capturing direction, a direction in which the vehicle 100
heads for the image-capturing target place on the route.
[0056] Also, for example, when judging that the image-capturing
target place is not included in the route indicated by the route
information, the image-capturing-direction determining unit 218
determines, as the image-capturing direction, a direction in which
the vehicle 100 heads for the image-capturing target place on a
route in which the image-capturing target place is set as a
destination of the vehicle 100. Also, for example, when the
image-capturing target place is not included in the route indicated
by the route information and the image-capturing target place not
on a road, the image-capturing-direction determining unit 218
derives a path from a neighboring road of the image-capturing
target place to the image-capturing target place, and determines,
as the image-capturing direction, a direction of heading for the
image-capturing target place on the derived path.
[0057] The request-information sending unit 220 broadcasts, to
other vehicles 100, request information including identification
information identifying the vehicle 100 and the image-capturing
target place and the image-capturing direction determined by the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 218. The
request-information sending unit 220 may cause the wireless
communication unit 130 to send the request information by means of
broadcast to other vehicles 100.
[0058] The response receiving unit 222 receives a response from
another vehicle 100 that received the request information sent by
the request-information sending unit 220. For example, the response
receiving unit 222 receives an agreement response to the request
information indicating the agreement to capture an image of the
image-capturing target place in the image-capturing direction and
send the captured image.
[0059] When the response receiving unit 222 receives the agreement
response, the captured-image receiving unit 224 receives the
captured image from the another vehicle 100 that sent the agreement
response. The captured-image receiving unit 224 may receive the
captured image via the wireless communication unit 130.
[0060] The display control unit 226 causes the captured image
received by the captured-image receiving unit 224 to be displayed.
For example, the display control unit 226 causes the display unit
120 to display the captured image. The display control unit 226 may
also send the captured image to a prespecified communication
terminal and cause the communication terminal to display the
captured image. Examples of the communication terminal can include
a mobile phone such as a smart phone and a tablet terminal owned by
the user of the vehicle 100, and the like.
[0061] The request-information receiving unit 242 receives the
request information sent by another vehicle 100. The judging unit
244 refers to the image-capturing target place and the
image-capturing direction included in the request information
received by the request-information receiving unit 242, and judges
whether image capturing of the image-capturing target place in the
image-capturing direction is possible. For example, the judging
unit 244 judges whether the image capturing is possible based on
the route information stored in the storage unit 210 and an
image-capturing possible range in which the image capturing by the
image capturing unit 140 is possible. As a specific example, the
judging unit 244 judges the image capturing to be possible if,
assuming that the vehicle 100 travels the route indicated by the
route information, the vehicle 100 travels toward the
image-capturing target place along the image-capturing direction
included in the request information and the image-capturing target
place is included in the image capturing range of the image
capturing unit 140.
[0062] When the judging unit 244 judges the image capturing to be
possible, the captured-image sending unit 246 sends, to the vehicle
100 identified by the identification information included in the
request information, an image of the image-capturing target place
included in the request information, which image is captured by the
image capturing unit 140 in the image-capturing direction included
in the request information.
[0063] FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of process flow of the
control device 200. The flow described here starts with the initial
state in which the vehicle 100 waits for the specification of an
image-capturing target place while the user of the vehicle 100
drives the vehicle 100 along a route to a destination. The main
entity that performs each process shown in FIG. 8 is a control unit
provided to the control device 200.
[0064] When it is judged at Step (a Step may be referred to in an
abbreviated form as S) 102 that the specification accepting unit
212 accepts the specification of an image-capturing target place,
the flow proceeds to S104. At S104, the route-information acquiring
unit 216 acquires route information indicating a route to a
destination of the vehicle 100. At S106, the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 218 determines, based on
the route information and location information indicating an
image-capturing target place, an image-capturing direction in which
image capturing of the image-capturing target place is to be
performed.
[0065] At S108, the request-information sending unit 220
broadcasts, to other vehicles 100, request information including
identification information identifying the vehicle 100 and the
image-capturing target place and the image-capturing direction. An
approval response is then waited for. When the response receiving
unit 222 receives an approval response (YES in S110), the flow
proceeds to S112.
[0066] At S112, the starting of image capturing of the
image-capturing target place by another vehicle 100 is waited for.
When another vehicle 100 starts image capturing of the
image-capturing target place, the another vehicle 100 may notify
the control device 200 of that indication. When the image capturing
is started (YES in S112), the flow proceeds to S114.
[0067] At S114, the captured-image receiving unit 224 receives the
image captured by the another vehicle 100 while traveling toward
the image-capturing target place. At S116, the display control unit
226 causes the display unit 120 to display the captured image. At
S118, it is judged whether the image capturing of the
image-capturing target place by the another vehicle 100 is
finished. For example, the another vehicle 100 notifies the vehicle
100 that the image capturing of the image-capturing target place is
finished when the another vehicle 100 passes through the
image-capturing target place.
[0068] If it is judged at S118 that the image capturing is not
finished, the flow returns to S114 and the reception and display of
the captured image are performed. If it is judged at S118 that the
image capturing is finished, the flow ends.
[0069] FIG. 9 schematically shows an example of a computer 1000
functioning as the control device 200. The computer 1000 according
to the present embodiment includes a CPU-surrounding section
including a CPU 1010, a RAM 1030, and a graphics controller 1085,
which are connected to each other by a host controller 1092, and an
input/output section including a ROM 1020, a communication I/F
1040, a hard disk drive 1050, and an input/output chip 1080, which
are connected to the host controller 1092 by an input/output
controller 1094.
[0070] The CPU 1010 operates based on programs stored in the ROM
1020 and the RAM 1030 to control each unit. The graphics controller
1085 acquires image data generated such as by the CPU 1010 on a
frame buffer provided in the RAM 1030, and causes the image data to
be displayed on a display. Instead, the graphics controller 1085
may itself include a frame buffer for storing image data generated
such as by the CPU 1010.
[0071] The communication I/F 1040 communicates with other devices
via a wired or wireless network. The communication I/F 1040 also
functions as hardware for performing communication. The hard disk
drive 1050 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1010.
[0072] The ROM 1020 stores a boot program executed by the computer
1000 at startup, programs dependent on hardware of the computer
1000, and the like. The input/output chip 1080 connects various
input/output devices to the input/output controller 1094 such as
via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, and a mouse
port, for example.
[0073] Programs provided to the hard disk drive 1050 via the RAM
1030 are provided by a user in a form stored in a recording medium
such as an IC card. The programs are read out from the recording
medium, installed onto the hard disk drive 1050 via the RAM 1030,
and executed on the CPU 1010.
[0074] The programs installed onto the computer 1000 for causing
the computer 1000 to function as the control device 200 may
instruct the CPU 1010 or the like to cause the computer 1000 to
function as each unit of the control device 200. Information
processings described in these programs are read by the computer
1000 to function as the storage unit 210, the specification
accepting unit 212, the location-information acquiring unit 214,
the route-information acquiring unit 216, the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 218, the
request-information sending unit 220, the response receiving unit
222, the captured-image receiving unit 224, the display control
unit 226, the request-information receiving unit 242, the judging
unit 244, and the captured-image sending unit 246, which are
specific means in which software and the above-described various
hardware resources cooperate. These specific means implement
operations or processings of information according to the intended
use of the computer 1000 in the present embodiment, and the control
device 200 is thereby constructed to be specific for the intended
use.
[0075] While in the above embodiment the control device 200 has
been described as an example of the display control device, there
is no such limitation and, for example, a communication terminal
owned by the user of the vehicle 100 who rides on the vehicle 100
may also function as the display control device.
[0076] FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of functional
configuration of a communication terminal 500. The communication
terminal 500 includes a specification accepting unit 502, a
location-information acquiring unit 504, a route-information
acquiring unit 506, an image-capturing-direction determining unit
508, a request-information sending unit 510, a response receiving
unit 512, a captured-image receiving unit 514, and a display
control unit 516. Note that the communication terminal 500 does not
necessarily include all of these components.
[0077] The specification accepting unit 502 accepts the
specification of an image-capturing target place. For example, the
specification accepting unit 502 may accept the specification of
the image-capturing target place on a map application. For example,
the specification accepting unit 502 accepts the specification of
the image-capturing target place through pointing input. The
specification accepting unit 502 also accepts the specification of
the image-capturing target place through audio input.
[0078] The location-information acquiring unit 504 acquires
location information indicating the image-capturing target place
for which the specification accepting unit 502 has accepted the
specification. For example, the location information indicating the
image-capturing target place may be the latitude and longitude of
the image-capturing target place.
[0079] The route-information acquiring unit 506 acquires route
information indicating a route to a destination of the vehicle 100.
The route information may indicate a route from the location of the
vehicle 100 to the destination of the vehicle 100. For example, the
route-information acquiring unit 506 may receive the route
information from the vehicle 100 by communicating with the vehicle
100.
[0080] The image-capturing-direction determining unit 508
determines, based on the location information acquired by the
location-information acquiring unit 504 and the route information
acquired by the route-information acquiring unit 506, an
image-capturing direction in which image capturing of the
image-capturing target place is to be performed. The
image-capturing-direction determining unit 508 may determine the
image-capturing direction in a manner similar to that of the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 218.
[0081] The request-information sending unit 510 broadcasts, to
other vehicles 100, request information including identification
information identifying the vehicle 100 and the image-capturing
target place and the image-capturing direction determined by the
image-capturing-direction determining unit 508. The
request-information sending unit 510 may cause the wireless
communication unit 130 of the vehicle 100 to send the request
information by means of broadcast to other vehicles 100. The
request-information sending unit 510 may also broadcast the request
information to other vehicles 100 via the network 10.
[0082] The response receiving unit 512 receives a response from
another vehicle 100 that received the request information sent by
the request-information sending unit 510. For example, the response
receiving unit 512 receives an agreement response to the request
information indicating the agreement to capture an image of the
image-capturing target place in the image-capturing direction and
send the captured image.
[0083] When the response receiving unit 512 receives the agreement
response, the captured-image receiving unit 514 receives the
captured image from the another vehicle 100 that sent the agreement
response. The captured-image receiving unit 514 may receive the
captured image via the network 10. The captured-image receiving
unit 514 may also receive the captured image via the vehicle
100.
[0084] The display control unit 516 causes the captured image
received by the captured-image receiving unit 514 to be displayed.
For example, the display control unit 516 causes a display of the
communication terminal 500 to display the captured image. The
display control unit 516 may also send the captured image to the
vehicle 100 and cause the display unit 120 of the vehicle 100 to
display the captured image.
[0085] FIG. 11 shows an example of hardware configuration of a
computer 1100 functioning as the communication terminal 500. The
computer 1100 according to the present embodiment includes a SoC
1110, a main memory 1122, a flash memory 1124, an antenna 1132, an
antenna 1134, an antenna 1136, a display 1140, a microphone 1142, a
speaker 1144, a USB port 1152, and a card slot 1154.
[0086] The SoC 1110 operates based on programs stored in the main
memory 1122 and the flash memory 1124 to control each unit. The
antenna 1132 is a so-called cellular antenna. The antenna 1134 is a
so-called WiFi (registered trademark) antenna. The antenna 1136 is
an antenna for so-called short-range wireless communication such as
Bluetooth (registered trademark). The SoC 1110 may use the antenna
1132, the antenna 1134, and the antenna 1136 to implement various
communication functions. The SoC 1110 may receive programs used by
the SoC 1110 using the antenna 1132, the antenna 1134, or the
antenna 1136, and store the programs in the flash memory 1124.
[0087] The SoC 1110 may use the display 1140 to implement various
display functions. The SoC 1110 may use the microphone 1142 to
implement various audio input functions. The SoC 1110 may use the
speaker 1144 to implement various audio output functions.
[0088] The USB port 1152 implements USB connection. The card slot
1154 implements connection with various cards such as a SD card.
The SoC 1110 may receive programs used by the SoC 1110 from
equipment or a memory connected to the USB port 1152 and from a
card connected to the card slot 1154, and store the programs in the
flash memory 1124.
[0089] The programs installed onto the computer 1100 for causing
the computer 1100 to function as the communication terminal 500 may
instruct the SoC 1110 or the like to cause the computer 1100 to
function as each unit of the communication terminal 500.
Information processings described in these programs are read by the
computer 1100 to function as the specification accepting unit 502,
the location-information acquiring unit 504, the route-information
acquiring unit 506, the image-capturing-direction determining unit
508, the request-information sending unit 510, the response
receiving unit 512, and the captured-image receiving unit 514,
which are specific means in which software and the above-described
various hardware resources cooperate. These specific means
implement operations or processings of information according to the
intended use of the computer 1100 in the present embodiment, and
the communication terminal 500 is thereby constructed to be
specific for the intended use.
[0090] While the embodiments of the present invention have been
described, the technical scope of the invention is not limited to
the above described embodiments. It is apparent to persons skilled
in the art that various alterations and improvements can be added
to the above-described embodiments. It is also apparent from the
scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such
alterations or improvements can be included in the technical scope
of the invention.
[0091] The operations, procedures, steps, and stages of each
process performed by an apparatus, system, program, and method
shown in the claims, embodiments, or diagrams can be performed in
any order as long as the order is not indicated by "prior to,"
"before," or the like and as long as the output from a previous
process is not used in a later process. Even if the process flow is
described using phrases such as "first" or "next" in the claims,
embodiments, or diagrams, it does not necessarily mean that the
process must be performed in this order.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCES
[0092] 10: network, 100: vehicle, 110: manipulation unit, 120:
display unit, 130: wireless communication unit, 140: image
capturing unit, 150: GNSS receiving unit, 160: sensor unit, 200:
control device, 210: storage unit, 212: specification accepting
unit, 214: location-information acquiring unit, 216:
route-information acquiring unit, 218: image-capturing-direction
determining unit, 220: request-information sending unit, 222:
response receiving unit, 224: captured-image receiving unit, 226:
display control unit, 242: request-information receiving unit, 244:
judging unit, 246: captured-image sending unit, 300: map, 312:
current location, 314: destination, 320: route, 322: route, 330:
image-capturing target place, 340: direction, 410: vehicle, 420:
vehicle, 430: vehicle, 500: communication terminal, 502:
specification accepting unit, 504: location-information acquiring
unit, 506: route-information acquiring unit, 508:
image-capturing-direction determining unit, 510:
request-information sending unit, 512: response receiving unit,
514: captured-image receiving unit, 516: display control unit,
1000: computer, 1010: CPU, 1020: ROM, 1030: RAM, 1040:
communication I/F, 1050: hard disk drive, 1080: input/output chip,
1085: graphics controller, 1092: host controller, 1094:
input/output controller, 1100: computer, 1110: SoC, 1122: main
memory, 1124: flash memory, 1132: antenna, 1134: antenna, 1136:
antenna, 1140: display, 1142: microphone, 1144: speaker, 1152: USB
port, 1154: card slot
* * * * *